Fantasy Realm [One Piece] [Harry Potter] [Naruto] - [Progression] [LitRPG]

Chapter 190: New Day, New Mindset, New Goal

Time passes, and Alex finally opens his eyes, finding Menchi sitting in front of him, reading one of the new books he gifted her.

"Your aura is much calmer now. I think you really needed that," Menchi says, closing the book. "Don't forget this feeling—keep it up, not just during meditation, but try to hold onto this mindset all the time."

"It's already the middle of the night, and in a few hours, you were planning to check out the forest and visit Hagrid. Honestly, it wouldn't hurt to take a few days off. This mission is long-term, and skipping a day or two won't make much of a difference," Menchi tells him.

"It might be the smart thing to do, but it would also feel like running away... I'll try to get some sleep, and I promise I'll be careful tomorrow," Alex says, his confidence slowly returning.

Menchi turns off the rather primitive oil lamp and lies down in the bed, tugging Alex down with her.

What is she...?

"Good night," Menchi says softly, giving Alex a quick kiss before wrapping her arms around him and closing her eyes.

Feeling her warmth, Alex hesitates for a moment but eventually hugs her back. Her familiar scent puts him at ease, and he shuts his eyes, pushing all his thoughts aside.

It only takes a few seconds for him to fall asleep, feeling safe and completely at peace.

Alex wakes up to sunlight shining through a small window. He opens his eyes and notices the room is empty. Menchi's side of the bed is cold, but her familiar scent still lingers faintly in the air.

I feel calm and fully rested. Time to give it another go!

He doesn't put his armor back on yet and leaves the room, ignoring the looks from everyone else. After greeting them quickly, he enters his own room, washes up, changes into fresh clothes, and finally equips his armor. Feeling refreshed and determined, he heads back to the living room.

"You've got a nice look on your face, Alex," Roja says with a grin, pausing briefly before continuing, "and I heard you put that Mafia team in their place too! Keep it up, I think it's been pretty effective."

"I'm sorry, I won't be able to do that anymore. I've done enough. From now on, I'm focusing completely on the mission," Alex says, his tone firm and leaving no room for arguments.

Roja looks at Alex with a strange expression but eventually seems to accept his decision.

Perlah glances at Alex, then at Menchi, who smiles knowingly at him. Perlah blushes slightly and looks away, asking in a low voice, "Is this because of yesterday...?"

Now that my mind isn't racing, I've actually noticed something. I'm not sure I should tell the group, but if my crazy hunch turns out to be right, I'd regret keeping it to myself.

"Are you feeling better, Rishi?" Alex asks, turning his attention to his friend and comrade.